


Baptizatus Est

by Sunshinegrimes



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol, Awkward Flirting, Bathing/Washing, Bisexual Foggy Nelson, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Matt Murdock, Domestic Fluff, First Dates, Fluff, Foggy Nelson Is a Good Bro, Friends to Lovers, Human Disaster Matt Murdock, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sex (mentioned), Slow Burn, Spoilers for Daredevil Series 1, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bath bombs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 10:19:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17364167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshinegrimes/pseuds/Sunshinegrimes
Summary: "...You smell like you robbed a flower store, and rolled in every bouquet they had.” Matt actually had the decency to snort at that, but when Foggy looked over at him again, Matt was sat up in bed, playing with the corner of one of his blankets. Through his alcohol-induced haze, Foggy could see Matt actually looked…self-conscious?“I was just having a little me-time. It’s been a long week.”----In which Foggy learns the secret about how Matt deals with his stress, and the two embark on a journey of rest, relaxation, and maybe more. Set over the course of their college years, and will cover the events leading up to 3x13 and beyond.





	Baptizatus Est

Foggy could tell you exactly when it started.

He could pinpoint, to the day, when he first learned about Matt’s obsession.

It started a few weeks after they had begun sharing a room together, back when things were a lot simpler between them.

Stress, and the relieving of it, can take many forms. Some people used exercise, yoga, anything that worked up a sweat or pushed their bodies. Other people created things: they stress baked, threw clay together, carved wood and spread paint. Some even took to words, poetry, song, playing out their emotions on the strings of an old guitar. Alcohol was another crutch, drugs, gambling, television, anything that took the mind away from their problems, even for a few minutes.

Foggy remembers distinctly, when he discovered Matt’s secret. He’d been out late, leaving their room with a cheerful goodbye, and every intention of studying at the library across campus. Unfortunately, after bumping into some of their class mates, Foggy had found himself at a dorm party, and as far from studying as possible. It had been way past 11 when he staggered back, with his books in tow, and several pints weighing down his footsteps. Thankfully, despite his inebriated state, Foggy had enough lucidity to enter the shared space as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake Matt up.

It turns out, Foggy needn’t have worried. The automatic light from inside the bathroom was on, a thin strip of yellow was emitting from under the door. Foggy set his bag down on his bed, rubbing a hand over his face and trying to focus past his dizziness on the weird gurgling noise coming from the bathroom... it sounded like the tub was being... drained? What was Matt doing having a bath this close to midnight?

Just then, the bathroom door swung open, and Matt stepped out in his pyjamas, his hair was towel-dried, and his glasses were held loosely in one hand. Foggy had already seen Matt get ready for bed dozens of times before, however, this time a scent had wafted out from the open doorway and filtered into their room. It smelled like... Roses?

 _Huh._ Foggy thought. _That was nice._

Matt tilted his head in his direction, expectant, and Foggy snapped out of his reverie. Clearing his throat, Foggy tried to sound more sober than he felt.

“Hey, Matt! I tried to come in quietly but, well, it looks like you’re already up.” As he spoke, Foggy was still trying to place the smell. He glanced over Matt’s shoulder, to spot whether he had a girl hiding back there. So far, neither of them had interrupted the other when they had brought people back. Still, first time for everything, right?

“Hey Foggy.” Matt replied slowly, in that knowing, amused way of his that implied Foggy had failed catastrophically at his sobriety act. Foggy sighed, and dropped the charade, as Matt give him a relaxed, lopsided smile. The sight made Foggy’s insides turn to jelly, _and wasn't that one of life’s great mysteries?_

In class, Foggy was a ferocious debater, always finding the loophole in his classmate’s arguments, and earning the begrudging approval of their lecturers. In his down time, when it came to their playful banter, Foggy could, 9 times out of 10, find some way wriggle out of whatever verbal headlock Matt put him in. They had argued once, for 4 days solid, about the correct way of cutting sandwiches (complete with references), until they finally called a truce for the sake of their sleep patterns. However, the remaining 1/10, Foggy’s kryptonite, was one hundred percent due to the fact his new roommate was, to put it bluntly, ridiculously handsome. When sober, one of Matt’s charming ‘Hey Foggy’ smiles always dissolved Foggy’s well laid defences. Therefore, given that he was tired, and very much inebriated, Foggy was well and truly doomed.

Foggy must have been staring a while, as Matt had crossed the room, setting his glasses on his nightstand, and was fussing with his blankets, folding them back. “Everything alright?” Matt called back to him, and Foggy resumed unpacking his bag, trying to waive the mental image of Matt’s earnest little smile from his mind.

“Yeah, sorry, kinda spaced out. I was going to study, but as fate would have it, I ended up at a dorm party, and I drank more than I was supposed to.”

“Yeah, you smell like a liquor store.” Matt replied with a raise of his eyebrows, and Foggy laughed a little too loud, for a little too long. There was an awkward pause, before Foggy’s liquid courage decided to address the elephant in the room.

“Well what about you, how’s your evening been? ‘Cause you smell like you robbed a flower store, and rolled in every bouquet they had.” Matt actually had the decency to snort at that, but when Foggy looked over at him again, Matt was sat up in bed, playing with the corner of one of his blankets. Through his alcohol-induced haze, Foggy could see Matt actually looked…self-conscious?

“I was just having a little me-time. It’s been a long week.” Matt rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, and the smallness of his voice made Foggy feel shitty. Sitting down on the edge of his own bed, Foggy turned to face Matt, suddenly feeling a lot more sober than before.

“Well, did it help?” Foggy ventured, trying to place as much warmth in his voice as possible. Matt couldn’t see him smile, but Foggy made an effort to sound as far from judgemental as he could. It must have worked, as Matt stopped twisting his fingers around his blankets, and sat up a little straighter.

“Yeah, I feel a lot better. Most days I can find ways to unwind, but, when things get too much...” Matt inclined his head towards the bathroom, and Foggy inhaled deeply again, finding the scent of roses was helping to clear his own head.

“You break out the bath bombs?” Foggy finished Matt’s sentence, and he felt sweet success when Matt started to smile again properly.

“Well, there’s the bath bombs, but I also have other stuff. You want to take a look?” Now that Matt could tell Foggy wasn’t going to mock him, Matt seemed eager to share his secret.

“Hell yeah, let me see what you’ve got.” Foggy encouraged him, and he watched Matt clamber from his bed and make his way to the bathroom, a spring in his step. When Matt returned, Foggy had taken up a cross legged position on the end of Matt’s bed. Matt placed a metal tin, roughly the size of a shoebox, on the bed between them, and when he lifted the lid, a mix of smells, floral, earthy and edible, wafted up from the contents. There were a few bath bombs inside, wrapped in paper, and some bottles in varying stages of fullness. Tucked alongside them, were a few blocks of soap, and a small jar of what looked like some kind of body scrub was wedged in amongst the assortment. Foggy poised a hand above the box, looking to Matt for permission. “May I?”

“Sure, just be careful not to spill anything.” Matt warned, and Foggy scooped up two of the bombs first, inhaling against both of their paper wrappers. One smelled like the ocean, sea salty and oddly like sun lotion, and the other reminded Foggy of freshly squeezed orange juice. When he smelled the third one, it evoked memories of his parent’s house at Christmas, of baked apples and cinnamon. 

Matt watched mostly in silence, as Foggy entertained himself with his collection, but he didn’t seem as self-conscious as before. He readily supplied the ridiculous, pun names of the soaps, and the body scrub, (“‘ _Rump’? Seriously Matt?”)_ making them both of them laugh. Foggy felt glad he had come back from the party so soon. If he had stayed for another beer, he might have missed sharing this with Matt.

“So why this? More than anything else?” Foggy enquired, once they had had their fill of exploring the scents of the products together. “Why not yoga, or booze, or poetry?”

“Honestly? I love how they make me feel. I get so tense with my studies, and with life in general, that sometimes I just need to…”

“Unwind?” Foggy suggested, tapping on the edge of the tin. Matt smiled, nodded, and closed the tin slowly, drawing it up into his lap. He stroked the edges of the box as if it were precious, and Foggy reached out to give his shoulder a light, playful shove. “Well, don’t worry Matt. Your secret is safe with me.” Foggy stood up slowly from the bed and stretched his arms above his head. He felt exhausted, and as much as he wanted to stay up talking about this recent development to Matt, it was getting close to midnight. He would approach the subject again in the morning, when both of them had had a good night’s sleep.

“Thanks Foggy.” Matt stood as well, and took the tin with him back to the bathroom. As Foggy watched, Matt stowed it away right at the back of the cupboard, covering it with an old towel and some cleaning supplies.

Foggy felt a little sad at the fact Matt was so private about this part of his life. He wondered if Matt had been teased about it in the past, or if he didn’t want Foggy to think he was ‘girly’ or something. Sure, Foggy had made those kinds of jokes in high school, but he had quickly grown out of that toxic mindset, right around the same time he realised most of his guy friends had shitty senses of humour that hurt others. Foggy hoped that his enthusiastically positive reaction, and his genuine interest towards this newfound part of Matt, had fostered only good feelings, and not brought about any feelings of shame or insecurity.

 _Hell_ , Foggy thought, _it certainly makes thinking of what to get him for Christmas a lot easier._

 

The next morning, Foggy woke to the sound of Matt opening their bedroom door. He was carrying two cups of coffee, one in each hand, and had backed up into the door, carefully depressing the handle with his elbow.

“Whoa, Matt.” Foggy sat up quickly, and stood to take one of the coffees from Matt before he spilled it everywhere. “Thanks, but you could have ended up with third degree burns.” Foggy chastised him lightly, but Matt seemed not to be daunted by his words at all.

“It’s alright Foggy, really, I think I’ve got enough hand-eye coordination to handle this.” Matt took his coffee to his bed and sat down on the edge of it still facing him. “How did you sleep?”

Now that the shock of a potential ER trip had worn off, Foggy’s headache had started to make it to the forefront of his mind. He sat opposite Matt, and rubbed a hand down his face, seeing spots dancing in front of his vision.

“Really, _really_ well, and now I feel like crap.”

“Well, alcohol will do that to you.” Matt sipped his coffee, and cradled the mug in both hands. They sat in comfortable silence for a few seconds, before Matt tapped his nails lightly on the edge of the mug. “I don’t know how much you remember from last night but… I appreciate what you said.”

“What?” Foggy took a few seconds to recall what had happened last night, before the memories, as well as the scent of roses, and Matt’s shy smile, came flooding back to him. “Oh! You mean that box of bathroom goodies you’ve been holding out on me with? Not a problem.”

“It really meant a lot, Foggy.” Matt cleared his throat, and took another sip of coffee, before he leant a little further forward. “And…if you ever want to use any of it, all you have to do is ask.”

“Thanks for the offer Matt, I might have to take you up on that next time I’m preparing to go out with someone.” Matt snorted at Foggy’s response, and they lapsed once again into a comfortable silence, just soaking up each other’s company. Foggy drained his coffee voraciously, sighing and laying back on his bed, the mug balanced on his chest and one arm thrown over his eyes. “Not tonight though, I feel like I got run over by a bus, a gigantic one, made up of like 14 other busses all stacked on top of each other.”

“That bad, huh?” Matt leaned over to his bedside and felt around for his glasses, putting them on as he stood up. He crossed the room slowly to Foggy’s side, finishing his coffee, and nudged Foggy’s knee with his hand. “Come on, breakfast will make you feel better.”

“Are you taking me to breakfast?” Foggy lifted his arm from his face, and tried not to sound too hopeful. He felt like garbage at the moment, but the prospect of breakfast, and Matt’s company, was too much to pass up.

“If you’re coming?” Matt replied casually, and Foggy was a little slower to stand this time, but 100% more motivated to face the day. He showered in record time, combed his hair into some form of array, and was lacing his shoes while Matt took their empty mugs back to the communal kitchen and washed up. Foggy couldn’t deny, he was excited to have breakfast with Matt, as it gave them an opportunity to talk more about last night. Foggy wanted to really understand what it meant to Matt, as the other man was usually reserved about his past, his family, and his own private life.

That wasn’t to say Matt wasn’t friendly. They had chatted a lot about current events, and Foggy had shared stories of his own family that had made Matt laugh. They had bonded over music, and books, and their favourite foods, but those were things you could talk about with anyone. Foggy was interested in Matt’s day to day life, but he was also curious about the parts of him he didn’t show to other people. They had only known each other for a few weeks, but Foggy was sure he had found a lifelong friend in Matt Murdock, and this opportunity to understand him better, was one Foggy wasn’t about to let slide.

Breakfast consisted of bagels, and more coffee, shared at a corner café that Foggy knew was one of Matt’s favourites. It was a little pricier, as it boasted about being an organic, free range supporting business, but Foggy wasn’t about to complain at the taste one bit. They sat in the window together, all for Foggy’s benefit, but Foggy wasn’t focused on the view outside. He watched as Matt precisely stirred his coffee, added cream, and one sugar, before he had a small sip to confirm the flavour. Foggy was about to start talking, when Matt tilted his head towards him, and gave him a smile.

“Good?” Was all Matt asked, and Foggy nodded emphatically, making sure to let out a satisfied groan at the deliciousness of his food.

“Oh yeah, this was such a good idea.”

“How’s your hangover?”

“It’s getting there, definitely, I would probably have settled for something a lot less gourmet.”

“ _Gourmet_?” Matt grinned at his choice of wording, and he took a bite of his own bagel.

“Well, as much as I hate to say this, I can’t really afford to splurge on $15 waffles every morning.”

That made Matt laugh, and the sound made Foggy’s chest feel light, and full of joy. Foggy wanted to make Matt laugh more, all the time if he could. Seeing Matt happy was one of the highlights of his day.

“Neither can I, it’s nice to treat yourself though, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…speaking of…” Matt must have foreseen the change in topic, as he wiped his mouth delicately with his napkin, before he folded it up and tucked it under the edge of his plate. Although his posture was a little more serious, Matt was still smiling, which was good, it worked for what Foggy had planned next.

“You’re like a dog with a bone, aren’t you?” Matt ran a hand through his hair, and now it was Foggy’s turn to laugh.

“Well, I am studying to-”

“Become a lawyer, yeah.” Matt interrupted, and Foggy threw up his hands ardently.

“So, I like to get up close with the facts.”

“Meaning?” Matt sipped his coffee with an air of nonchalance, but his smile was a dead giveaway. They weren’t arguing, Matt was drawing this out to be playful.

“That I’m interested in getting to know my roommate better. I’ve found out about something that’s close to his heart, and I want to talk about that with him. With you.” Foggy corrected himself, and now it was Matt’s turn to look somewhat shy. Matt ran his tongue over his lips, and he seemed to be on the verge of saying something, when a waitress appeared at Foggy’s shoulder, a coffee pot held in one hand.

“Everything alright with your breakfast?” She asked brightly, and Matt cleared his throat, directing a polite smile her way.

“Yeah, everything’s great, thank you miss.” The waitress left them be, and Matt clasped his hands together, his thumbs rubbing in slow circles against each other. This time, the silence was a little more uncomfortable, but Foggy was determined to clear the air.

“Were you teased about it? In school?” This wasn’t the way Foggy wanted the conversation to go, but he didn’t want to leave this café until he understood Matt’s secrecy on the subject.

“Not exactly, I’m just not used to sharing much with other people, or people wanting to share with me.” Matt’s small voice made the lightness in Foggy’s chest turn cold. He understood what Matt meant, and Matt had never mentioned having siblings, or any other close friends that he had grown up with. “When I have one of those baths, it’s like I’m in my own world. I don’t have to think about anything, or anyone, everything else just fades into the background.” Matt got a distant, far-off expression as he spoke, and Foggy felt some of the previous ease returning to the conversion.

“I guess being blind means you can’t do some other relaxing stuff people take for granted.” Foggy had some more of his bagel, before continuing. “I mean, if you can’t watch cat videos, you need to treat your other senses, right? Those bath bombs, the soaps and stuff, they smelled amazing.”

“Yeah, yeah that’s right. It’s a great way to escape, and they come in so many different smells, and textures.”

“Whoa whoa, _textures_?” Foggy coaxed Matt to continue, and Matt’s mood seemed to have perked up again, as he was quick to reply.

“Yeah, some of the bombs have oils in them, that make your skin soft, and some of the soaps have these crystal pieces that can exfoliate as well. I found one that feels like popping candy on your skin, it’s amazing.”

“You’re shitting me. So not only do they smell great, but they’re basically like a whole spa session in one go?”

“Yeah, you should try one out sometime.” Matt beamed at him, and Foggy straightened himself up, folding his arms now he was finished with his bagel.

“Where do you get them? Is there a specific store? We should go after breakfast.”

“Yeah, it’s a place not far from here. I’ll take you to it.”

“It’s a deal, Murdock.”

 

 

When they arrived home later that afternoon, Foggy was well and truly glazed over from the whole experience of shopping with Matt. Matt had taken them straight from the café, to a corner store that had large, floor to ceiling windows at the entrance. The displays were magnificent, pyramids and elaborate stacks of different bath bombs, soaps and other body products that swirled with many colours. Foggy had been able to smell the store halfway down the street, and as they entered through the propped open door, Matt had gotten this peaceful, serene expression on his face. Foggy had grabbed them a basket, and an assistant had drifted over to help them choose what they were looking for. As they didn’t have anything specific in mind, Matt politely declined their offer for help, and instead let Foggy start at one end of the store and work his way around.

The trip was mostly for Foggy’s benefit, and it certainly was an enjoyable experience. They stopped to smell almost everything, and even used a few of the products that had “Try me!” labels on them. Foggy had given up trying to avoid getting glitter on his clothes in all of about two minutes, and Matt had had fun comparing their opinions on products. Some soaps they had both raved about, and the lip scrubs had left Foggy’s mouth feeling soft and free from dry skin. Others, including a shampoo that was apparently labelled “Plum Paradise” had Foggy wrinkling his nose and turning away. Not everything was to his taste, but he sure found a lot that he liked, and even a few things he recognised from Matt’s collection.

Finally, they had chosen a few favourites, agreed to split the bill, and strolled out of the store with their goodies in tow. They had joked on and off about the pros of doing this more often, versus the cons of having to survive off of ramen noodles if they were to sustain this expensive habit. Foggy could definitely see why Matt was so enamoured with this store, and he vowed to make a note of some of the products Matt had liked, but they had chosen not to get this time.

“So, going to have a bath this evening?” Matt joked as they shed their shoes and coats. Foggy made an exaggerated humming sound, pretending to consider Matt’s offer, before he rustled the bag in Matt’s direction.

“Absolutely, I can’t wait to try out that bomb you got that smells like peaches, what was it called?” Foggy dove into the bag and extracted the spherical paper package, turning it over in his hands to read the label. “Ripe and Ready.” He snorted, and carefully tipped out the rest of the contents onto his bed. “Get your tin?”

“I think I’m going to need a bigger box” Matt confessed as he retrieved his collection, setting it on the edge of Foggy’s blankets.

“Or, we could just put this stuff in the cupboards like normal people who aren’t afraid of a little pampering. No one’s going to see them, Matt, not anyone who cares anyway.”

“I like keeping them in this.” Matt countered, tapping the lid of the tin before opening it up. “It makes it feel more…”

“ _Special_?” Foggy finished for him, and Matt sighed, giving a small incline of his head.

“Special. Like a present.”

“Yeah, you’re right. A gift from you, to you.” Foggy carefully laid their new purchases inside. There was now too much to close the lid all the way, but Matt didn’t seem to mind. He shut it as far as it would go, before carrying it back to the cupboard and stowing it away. This time, he didn’t hide it right at the back, and he kept it uncovered for easy access.

There was a new, unspoken confidence in the way Matt walked out of the bathroom, and Foggy watched him cross the room to where he kept his own books. He lifted a few of them out, and tilted his head in Foggy’s direction.

“So, since you didn’t get any studying done yesterday, and since you’re feeling so much better, I thought we could go over our assignments together today.”

“What?” Foggy whipped his head up to stare at Matt, as he brought the stack of textbooks over. “Come on Matt, the first one’s not due for another 2 weeks!”

“Which is exactly why getting a head start now will ensure plenty of time to relax later on.” Matt sat next to Foggy, and aimed a stern expression in his general direction.

“Fine, but only because you gave me such an enlightening experience this morning.”

Foggy couldn’t wait until the evening, when he would get to experience Matt’s own idea of paradise for the first time. In the past, he had been put off by the prospect of bath products, too overwhelmed by different choices, and fancy, expensive labels. This time, he felt ready to indulge himself in some fruity, floral oils, and what better way to explore all of that, then with Matt showing him the ropes.

 

 

The weeks flew by, and mostly, the pair of them kept on top of their studies, taking time to unwind whenever things got too stressful. They made a pact, that whenever they handed in an assignment, or aced a particularly hard test, that they would reward themselves with something from the tin. It kept their spirits up, and the promise of an evening of personal luxury motivated them to hand in their work as soon as they could. Morale was high in their shared space, and by the end of the semester, Foggy was pleased to say he was well and truly an aficionado for their shared hobby. Together, they spent more of their budgets on the soaps and bombs than on wasteful things like booze or junk food. Foggy’s skin had never felt so smooth.

With Christmas approaching, the students on campus were making plans, travelling home or, if they were staying, out late partying way into the night. One evening, Foggy hung up the phone to his mom, his suitcase open and half packed on his bed. Foggy had been excited to see his family, but Matt had had no concrete plan as to what he was going to do. Matt had skirted around the topic for two weeks now, answering noncommittally with “Well, you know”s and “I’ll figure something out”s. Foggy was supposed to be picked up in the morning, and he was well and truly finished with Matt’s shadiness.

“Look, you know my mom wouldn’t mind if you came for Christmas, right?” Foggy broached the subject casually as he folded up one of his shirts. On his own bed, Matt blanched, and he cleared his throat nervously. “I’m serious, Matt. I know you were planning on staying here, but my mom loves you.”

“She loves what you’ve told her about me.” Matt replied with a hint of snark, and Foggy rolled his eyes, not prepared to give Matt an inch of self-deprecating humour this evening.

“That’s because whenever she calls, you always find something else to do so you won’t have to talk to her like a regular human being.” Foggy had tried, and failed, to get Matt to engage when he had placed the phone on speaker mode before. Matt had put his headphones in, and had pretended to find his revision notes inexplicably interesting. “You’re my best friend, Matt. She thinks the world of you, and she knows you don’t have any plans over the winter break.”

“Oh, so I’m a charity case?” Now Matt was just messing with him. Foggy paused in his packing, strode over, and sat next to Matt.

“No, Matt, that’s not what I’m saying. Seeing my family at Christmas, that’s going to be great. I miss them, I really do.” Matt was fiddling with his sleeves, but he was clearly listening, so Foggy pressed on. “But I’m going to feel like crap, knowing I left my best friend here, on his own, when he could be having a great Christmas surrounded by people that care about him.”

Matt was quiet for a few seconds longer, as he mulled over what Foggy had said, before he seemed to find the right words to reply. What he said, made Foggy smile instantly.

“Do you think we could bring the tin? It’s just, you know, I hear the holidays can get a little stressful.”

“Of course we can.” Foggy stood up quickly, before crouching down to drag Matt’s suitcase out from under his bed. “Let’s get you packed, Mom will be here at 9:00am tomorrow, okay?”

Matt unfolded himself from his hunched position, and as he began packing his belongings, Foggy cast him a wistful smile, proud to have convinced Matt to not spend the holidays alone. The tin was one of the last things they placed in Matt’s case, protected on all sides by cosy jumpers, and some of his text books. In the coming weeks, they kept the tin tucked away, but always within reach, in case things got too hectic.

On Christmas day, Matt unwrapped a paper bag, which contained several scented packages from that store on the corner. Foggy was sure Matt had been able to smell what his present was inside the paper, even though he had tripled up the wrapping on it, as Matt smiled the whole way through opening it. He had gone out in secret one afternoon, and had gotten Matt two new floral shower gels, some shampoo that smelled like raspberries, and his favourite, the rose bath bomb that had started this whole crazy adventure. Foggy’s family had all wanted to smell the goodies, and Matt leaned his shoulder against Foggy’s as he let them pass them around.

“So, you pleased with your present?” Foggy asked quietly, and nudged Matt’s elbow with his own. Matt sighed softly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

“Yeah, thanks Foggy. I really appreciate it.” Matt’s cheeks were a little pink, tinged with emotion, and Foggy felt his own face warming too.

As it turned out, Matt had also been out in secret. Foggy, as well as his family, laughed as he found the same raspberry shampoo in his own bag. Matt had also gotten him one of the lip scrubs he had enjoyed, and a peach scented soap that mimicked the bath bomb he had been enamoured with, but this time he could enjoy it in a different way.

“I can’t believe you bought me the same shampoo.” Foggy remarked later, as he lined up their presents to each other on Foggy’s bedroom windowsill.

“Well, at least we won’t run out as fast.” Matt flopped back on Foggy’s bed. Foggy knew Matt felt fit to burst from the amount of Christmas dinner he had eaten. He sat beside Matt, grinning, and gave his friend’s full stomach a nudge that had Matt groaning in complaint. Several times, Foggy had watched with amusement as his mom had offered Matt _‘Just a little more’_ , and good old Saint Matthew had been too polite to refuse.

Foggy had finally stepped in, when Matt had grasped for his hand under the table, warding his mom off of giving Matt a third helping of cherry pie. The desperate movement had almost startled him. By now, Foggy was used to Matt holding his arm, or reaching out to grip his shoulder to ground himself. Unfortunately, the touch to his hand had been over in a flash. Matt had given his mom a polite smile, before he had sat with his hands folded in his lap, listening to the dinner conversation.

Now they had the evening mostly to themselves, Foggy turned to look at Matt more clearly, who appeared to have entered a near-comatose state from the amount of he had eaten.

“So, do you regret not spending Christmas alone?”

“You mean, was it worth getting woken up at the crack of dawn, being harassed by the small _village_ you call family, then eating my weight in party food? Absolutely.” Matt smiled drowsily, and Foggy laughed, pleased with Matt’s summary of the day. “It’s been a great week, Foggy, I’ve really enjoyed myself.”

“You know how we should round it off?” Foggy’s gaze drifted to the paper packages on the windowsill, and Matt raised his eyebrows at the question.

“With a bath?”

“With a bath. You don’t have to move, stay there and I’ll go run the tub.”

Foggy would let Matt get in first, knowing the other man was exhausted from the events of the day. He was just debating which bomb to use, when Matt tilted his head towards him, stretching his limbs out a little more.

“The rose one?” Matt offered, and Foggy grinned as he spotted what Matt wanted.

“You got it, buddy.”

 

 

In the months that followed, Foggy grew steadily closer to Matt. Every holiday, the pair of them packed up their cases, and journeyed home to Foggy’s family, which was quickly becoming Matt’s family as well. By now, they had tried almost everything they liked the look of in that corner shop, which had grown by now to a full-blown boutique. When any new products were released, they hastened down together to test their liking of them, often coming away with something new to add to their collection. On more than one occasion, they had sat side-by-side on Matt’s bed, with face masks soaking into their skin. Everything, including the masks, were hand made. Foggy had listened, as Matt tentatively explained how he could tell the difference between who had made the masks that day, whether there was more citrus, or less vanilla. Foggy supposed that if Matt’s way of understanding the world was limited to what he could hear, smell, touch and taste, then he would be more acutely aware of the changes to their products. It was sweet, and in Foggy’s opinion, _seriously_ cool, to hear Matt try and explain how one mask differed from another.

“It’s kind of like your superpower, huh?” Foggy had joked, and Matt had gone quiet at that, his face slightly pinker than before. It was Matt’s birthday, the first one they had ever celebrated together, and while Matt hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of it, Foggy had insisted that they veto their usual tradition, and put down their work to make the day special.

“Yeah, I guess you could call it that.” Matt smiled, nudging Foggy’s elbow with his own. They were sat close together, with their backs against Matt’s headboard. Matt leaned against Foggy’s shoulder, with a familiar fondness, and they enjoyed the silence as the product worked its magic. Once the mask had finished, Foggy passed Matt the wet flannel they had prepared, and the two took turns wiping the residue from their faces. Foggy’s face felt soft, rejuvenated, and the vanilla smell was making both of them soporific. Matt folded the flannel, placing it on their bedside, before resting his cheek back down on Foggy's warm shoulder.  
  
“Did you want to go anywhere tonight?” Foggy had purposefully cleared his schedule, wanting to be free for Matt’s big day.

“Are you asking me to dinner?” Matt joked, and Foggy held his breath, glancing down at Matt’s peaceful expression. Matt’s eyes were closed, and in the evening glow of the sun, Foggy could see how his lashes cast long shadows over his cheekbones. Matt's lips were slightly parted, the edges curled up in humour, and his cheeks were much more flushed than before.  
  
"If you're coming?" Foggy recalled Matt's earlier wording, all those months ago. Matt must have caught the joke, as he snorted, lifted his head from Foggy's shoulder and rubbed his hands over his legs as if to wake them up a little.  
  
"Sure, why not. Did you want to go anywhere specific?"  
  
"I have somewhere in mind." Foggy patted Matt's arm, letting him know he was getting up. He stood, stretching, and glanced over his shoulder to see Matt was still comfortable on his bed, his head tilted with curiosity. "I'm not telling you where, Matt. You'll have to use that nose of yours to guess."  
  
"Well, it's a pretty good nose." Matt raised his eyebrows, and reached beside him, retrieving his cane before sliding to a graceful stand by Foggy's side. "Are you sure you want to take that risk?"

"I'm sure, 100%, and I'm not going to take it easy on you just because it's your birthday." Foggy nudged Matt gently, stepping past him to clean up in the bathroom. His hair needed brushing, and despite the damp flannel, some of the face mask had managed to stubbornly embed itself in his eyebrows. Foggy scratched at the peeling remnants, and behind him, he heard Matt retrieving his coat and boots, putting them on in the bathroom doorway.  
  
"Well, I would argue-"  
  
"But you're not going to." Foggy cut him off, and Matt huffed a defiant laugh. The sound drew goosebumps up the back of Foggy's neck.  
  
"I would argue that that's exactly  _why_  you should take it easy on me. I'm getting old, Foggy."  
  
"You're a baby-faced rapscallion, that's what. That pretty face might work on the ladies, but I'm not falling for it."  
  
"You think I'm pretty?" Unfortunately for Foggy, it looked like Matt was intent on letting him roil in grief at his poor choice of words.  
  
"Sure, you're pretty." Foggy deadpanned, turning to face Matt who was leaning innocuously against the door frame. "A pretty big pain in my ass."  
  
"Oh, so now we're insulting the elderly on their birthdays?" Foggy scoffed at that, and squeezed past Matt, who rolled on his shoulder to face the bedroom now.  
  
"You're not old, you're still a boy. Wait until we're in our fifties, or sixties. Jesus." Foggy cringed as he pulled his own coat on. Behind him, Matt whistled lowly.  
  
"Sixties? You think we'll still be friends after all that time?"   
  
Now ready to go, Foggy crossed the room to Matt's side, and Matt reached out to wrap his fingers around Foggy's elbow in a solid grip.  
  
"Face it Matt, you're stuck with me for life. One day, we're going to be old and senile in our rocking chairs, tossing insults back and forth, with a laundry list of medicines and arthritis in like 90% of our joints."   
  
"Only 90%?" Matt walked with Foggy out of their student halls, and Foggy tossed his head back in a laugh as they made it down to the ground floor.  
  
"Yeah, but I'll still have enough mobility in my jaw to bitch at you about wearing my jumpers." Foggy glanced up and down Matt's torso, noticing the collar of his favourite sweater poking out of Matt's coat zipper.  
  
"I'm wearing your jumper?" Matt gasped innocently, before he gave Foggy a grin that was unfairly handsome, and totally reminded Foggy of a puppy that had been caught chewing the mail. Placating, guiltless, and downright endearing. Foggy scraped together his resolve, and worked his tongue in his mouth until he was sure it was once again functioning properly.  
  
"Matt, you're many things, but you always were a shitty liar." Foggy nudged Matt's side as they walked, and in response Matt tried to trip Foggy up with his cane. Foggy avoided Matt's attempt to sabotage him, and laughed as Matt tried to tickle him instead. " _Behave_ , Murdock, or I'll have to revoke our peace treaty."  
  
"Oh? I wasn't aware we were even at peace."  
  
"Oh it's tentative, at best."   
                            
                                                                                             

Matt slept soundly that night, full of delicious food and pleasantly exhausted. Foggy had walked around idly with Matt for 20 minutes, deliberately going out of his way from their usual route to throw his friend off his sense of direction. Foggy knew that Matt trusted him to guide him, and hoped that Matt wouldn't catch wise to his deliberate act of disorientation. Once or twice, Matt had asked him where they were going, and Foggy had merely assured him it wasn't much further. Just when Matt had seemed to cotton on to his ploy, Foggy crossed the street and announced loudly:  
  
"Well, we're here!"  
  
The scent of Thai food wafted out from the restaurant, as a small group of diners exited through the main doors. Beside him, Matt paused on the sidewalk, sniffing the air delicately and grinning at Foggy. _Oh_ , Foggy thought, _he definitely knows._

“Foggy…”

“Come on, the door’s just here, on your right.”  
  
They entered the diner together, Foggy holding the door and letting Matt enter first. It was a tiny hole in the wall, with 4 tables and less than 10 chairs. The bare brickwork on the feature wall was decorated with fairy lights, hanging plants, and framed pictures of different dishes. The wooden floor beneath their feet creaked and groaned as they walked, and the air was humid and warm with the scent of a dozen meals already on the go. Foggy was approached by a waiter, who beamed at them broadly and asked if they had made a reservation. Matt went to say no, when Foggy spoke first.  
  
“We do actually. Table for two, Nelson and Murdock?”  
  
“Right here, sirs.” The waiter pivoted on his heel, and gestured to the table just by his hip.

Matt squeezed Foggy’s arm, giving him a bemused, but humoured expression. Foggy had managed to keep their reservation a secret, having called them whilst Matt was out at the library studying late. This place was Matt’s favourite for takeaway, but he had admitted to Foggy one evening that despite this, he had never been to a sit-down meal.  
  
_“It’s different, going on your own. It just feels a little bit...” Matt had trailed off, nestled on his front on his bed with a full tummy. Foggy remembered laughing at Matt, and shaking his head._  
  
_“Depressing?”_  
  
_“Yeah, if I had someone to go with, then sure, but I wouldn’t just go for myself.”_  
  
Foggy had decided then and there that they were going for Matt’s birthday. They slid into the corner booth next to each other, and Foggy realised Matt’s fingers were worrying the grip of his cane. He fidgeted as though he were nervous.  
  
“Something wrong buddy?”  
  
“What? No. I’m just... you didn’t need to do all this, for me.” Matt slid his glasses off, and folded them against his chest before he placed them at the centre of the table. He tilted his head as though listening to something, and Foggy reached across without thinking to place his hand over Matt’s on the handle of his cane.  
  
“Matt, I wanted to do this for you. It’s your birthday, and you’re my best friend. You said you’d never come here for a meal alone, so, you’re here with me.” Foggy gestured to himself self-deprecatingly. “I just hope that now you’re finally here, doing this, that you’re not too disappointed I’m not some beautiful girl you can share your dessert with.”   
  
“Foggy,” Matt shook his head, and let Foggy squeeze his fingers. “who could find you disappointing?”  
  
“Oh believe me buddy, there’s a reason why my one night stands are just that.”  
  
“You’re too busy studying?” Matt was playing naive, and it made Foggy’s heart melt. Matt could turn any of Foggy’s self-criticism on its head, all he had to do was smile and bat those pretty little lashes at him. _Jesus_ , Foggy thought, Matt’s eyes looked especially warm, his cheeks more rouge under the fairy lights. “You’re too good for them, Foggy. You deserve someone who’ll stick by you.” Matt licked his lips, and Foggy realised he had yet to let go of Matt’s hand. He lifted his fingers away, and there was an awkward pause, that was luckily filled with the waiter appearing at Matt’s elbow.  
  
“Can I get you something to drink sirs?”  
  
“Oh, uh.” Foggy struggled to think, still star struck by Matt’s face. He glanced at the waiter, and began to hastily open their drinks menu, when Matt raised two fingers nonchalantly.  
  
“We’ll have two beers, and some water please.”   
  
“Two beers...” The waiter scribbled on his pad. Foggy tucked his hands between his knees, and looked down at his lap. “…and some water. Anything else for you sirs?”  
  
“Foggy?” Matt gave him a reassuring smile, and Foggy raised his head, clearing his throat.  
  
“Oh no, that’s great, thanks.”  
  
The waiter left their table, and Matt leaned forward on the table, his entire attention focused on Foggy.   
  
“You’re right, Foggy. I’m glad that you brought us here. To be honest, I didn’t even remember it was my birthday until this morning. We’ve had so much work to do, I completely forgot.” Matt sighed, and suddenly, he looked much more tired than before. This mirage, alter-ego version of Matt existed only for a second, before he smiled again, and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck sheepishly. “Good thing I have you.”  
  
“Yeah.” Foggy smiled, and bumped Matt’s shoulder with his own. “Maybe, when we’re home, you thinking what I’m thinking?”  
  
“We take a bath?”   
  
“We take a bath, and,” Foggy looked up as their drinks were being brought over. They both thanked the waiter before Foggy continued. “we put on a movie, and I give you a foot rub.”  
  
“A _foot rub_? I’m starting to feel like you’ve got ulterior motives, Foggy.”  
  
“Ulterior motives? _Me_?”  
  
“Well, here you are, taking me to dinner. Wining and dining me with the promise of a bath with lavender oils at home. Later on, who knows what you’ve got planned, after you’ve got me to flash my ankles at you...” Matt had a wicked grin on his face, and it made him look positively devilish. Scowling, Foggy nudged his feet under the table, and they played footsie for a few seconds, before Matt trapped Foggy’s foot under his own until he cried Uncle.   
  
“You’re hardly a virtuous maiden Matt. You’re a devil with rose tinted spectacles, always seeing the best in me and everyone else.”   
  
“I don’t need to wear them when I’m with you Foggy.” Matt rested his cheek in his palm, and it was true, Matt’s glasses were still folded neatly in the middle of the table. Foggy snorted, shaking himself before Matt’s honest, open expression, and his heartfelt words, made him do something he regretted.  
  
They ordered starters, and mains to share, with Foggy reading the menu for Matt and butchering the names of the dishes every step of the way. Later, leant against his elbow, and four beers in by dessert, Matt giggled as Foggy ordered them the “Lovers Cheesecake Platter for Two”. Foggy patted Matt’s hand good naturedly where it was tucked into his elbow. The 6 mini cheesecake slices that arrived were large enough for two or three bites each, and they arrived in a circle shape with separate fruits and dressings. They took turns trying each mini slice, making their way around the circle, and Matt impressed Foggy by naming each one without any hints. The last slice, a classic raspberry, went mostly to Foggy, with Matt slumping against his shoulder heavily claiming his stomach was fit to burst. Matt was hot, flushed from the alcohol, and one of his hands was splayed messily on Foggy’s thigh, close to his knee. He looked drowsy, and thankfully, Foggy had only drank half of what Matt had, so he was able to ask for the bill and pay for their dinner without any problems.  
  
“Come on sleeping beauty, at this rate you’ll be too tired to enjoy your bath.”  
  
“Nu-uh.” Matt whined, and allowed his arm to be draped over Foggy’s shoulders. Foggy stood carefully from the booth, with Matt’s cane tucked under one arm, and his other wrapped around Matt’s waist to hoist him up.  
  
“There you go bud. _Whoa_.” Foggy tightened his hold on the way out when Matt’s legs threatened to give way. “Why did you drink so much anyway? You’re usually the conservative one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”  
  
“What was the question?” Matt slurred against Foggy’s shoulder, and Foggy shook his head.  
  
“Forget it, you’re hammered. Let’s get you home and into bed. I just rolled my eyes at you, by the way.”  
  
“I love you Foggy, always taking care of me.” Matt crooned, and Foggy’s heart felt not only like it had skipped a beat, but it had also been shocked by a defibrillator. When he was able to breathe again, Foggy attempted to remain serious, but he couldn’t resist tickling Matt’s ribs to distract his own thoughts.  
  
“Yeah well, someone has to, and I’m the only one who’s enough of a sucker to put up with your nonsense.”

 

 

They staggered together through their dorm door half an hour later, and whilst Foggy was sobering up, Matt was still too drunk to walk straight. Instead, he let Foggy guide him to his bed, as weak and floppy as a kitten, and had pawed at Foggy’s knee with a small playful hum once he was stretched out on his back.

“Dude, you are so wasted.” Foggy sighed, and he reached down to undo Matt’s shoes. He pulled Matt’s socks off afterwards, and tossed them into the hamper. Next, Matt’s shoes were neatly lined up beside the bed, and when Foggy looked at the rest of Matt’s clothes he… _hesitated_. He needn’t have worried, however, as when he raised his head to look at Matt’s face, Matt was drifting off, his lips slightly parted and his eyes closed. He was breathing slowly, arms stretched out by his sides, and Foggy couldn’t find it in himself to wake the poor soul. Foggy stood up from the bed, and tucked Matt’s blanket over him as best as he could. With great care not to wake him, Foggy rolled his friend little by little onto his side, to avoid him choking.

Foggy crossed the room, and glanced back at Matt’s sleeping form. He hoped Matt had had a good birthday, and tried not to think about Matt’s slurred confession too hard. Everything had gone to plan, from booking the table, making sure Matt didn’t find out, throwing him off the scent of their usual route, and the food was perfect. Sure, Matt had been well past tipsy, but Foggy knew better than to take anything _anyone_ said in that condition as gospel. Instead of dwelling on it, Foggy brushed his teeth, undressed, and climbed into his own bed. He lay there listening to Matt’s breathing. It was calm, better than any white noise or earplugs, and in little to no time at all, Foggy fell into a peaceful, contented slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think <3
> 
> I'm weak for Foggy/Matt... Especially their earlier days in college! There's so much potential for fluff and slow burn here, I'm going to be wrecked by the time I'm finally at S3!
> 
> If you would like to share your headcannons/thoughts, you're welcome to do so in the comment section down below! :)
> 
> \- SunshineGrimes


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